CV Review for LPC student at Anglia Ruskin University

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CV REVIEW IS AT THE FOOT OF THIS CV – NO FURTHER COMMENTS ON THE CONTENT OTHER THAN THE PARAGRAPH AT THE BOTTOM.

Candidate 010141129

Name
Address

Phone

Email

EDUCATION
2014 – 29th May 2015 Anglia Ruskin University Legal Practice Course
2010–2013 Buckinghamshire New University LLB (Hons) Law
Second Class Upper Division (2:1)
First year overall average – 48%
Second year overall average 56%
Third year modules overall average 65%

2000-2010 Hitchin Girls’ School
A Levels: Biology (E) Chemistry (D) and English Literature and Language (C)
GCSEs: 9 subjects all grades between A-C

RELEVENT WORK EXPERIENCE
30th April 2014 – 3rd November 2014 Community Workforce volunteer for adult and children at Victim Support
• Able to advocate for victims and look into their needs.
• Supporting victims of all ages and understand the principles of safeguarding and confidentiality.
• Trained to deal with victims of mental illness and behavioural issues.
• Able to diffuse the situation if difficulties arise.
7th January 2014 Island Advice Centre Debt Workshop
• Trained in the specialist area of debt.
• Able to interview clients and break down their priority and non priority debts.
• Retrieving information from County Court judgments and explaining this to the client.
5th December 2013 – 5th January 2014 Abbott Solicitors
• Trained as a personal injury paralegal.
• Trained to use the RTA portal.
• Liaising with third party insurance companies and following up vehicle damage/medical payments.
• Ensuring all file notes and supervisors are updated of the case regularly.
4th November 2013 – 4th December 2013 Voluntary assistant at GCA Solicitors
• The main issues dealt with at this firm are family matters and care proceedings.
• Answering telephone calls and booking appointments.
• Attending court hearings on behalf of the respected solicitors and taking minutes.
• Preparing bundles for court and liaised with the court in relation to hearings.
• Keeping files up to date with attendance notes and have notified clients with letters, in relation to their legal matters.
March 2013 Law Representative at Buckinghamshire New University
• Showing new students around the law department and explained how the degree is demanding.
• Discussing the fantastic opportunities at the university and the exciting modules to be undertaken.
August 2012 Jury Service at Luton Crown Court
• Participated in jury service this consisted of: analysing evidence, listening to key evidence from witnesses and the plea of the defendant.
• Witnessing the trial and make a fair decision whether the defendant was guilty or not guilty.
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March 2010 High Wycombe Magistrates Court
• Performed a bail application in front of judges.
• Able to use the Magistrates Sentencing Guidelines and asking for an appropriate sentence.
• Able to mitigate the defendant’s situation effectively.
February 2010 Employment Law clinic held at Buckinghamshire New University
• Team leader in organising advice on wrongful and unfair dismissal.
• Delegated roles to my colleagues and worked efficiently as a team.
• Contacted ACAS, local firms and Citizen’s Advice Bureau to further the team’s research.
• Use of creativity with role play, posters and baking cakes to advertise the clinic.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
September 2013- present J Sainsbury’s PLC
Customer Service Assistant/Supervisor
• Dealing with refunds, complaints/queries and customer orders.
• Dealing with difficult customers and resolving their problems instantly without involving management.
REFERENCES
Available upon request.

This is a CV that makes me shake my head in disbelief. Firstly this candidate has a really inconsistent academic background, but has struggled through and achieved a 2.1 degree at LLB level despite some truly awful grades. A levels were not much better. As a result you would expect this person to be a fighter, keen to progress and pulling out all the stops to get not only a good LPC but also a training contract. Surely their CV would be perfect, well written and something I can read and compliment them on.

Alas not. I refuse to review CVs where the writer hasn’t even bothered to check their spelling and grammar. This CV is shocking. To misspell Relevant in a heading is nothing short of a heinous crime and I am sure any other recruiters reading it would instantly press delete and not bother continuing. It backs up the poor academic grades, the inconsistent work history to date and justifies an instant rejection.

Put some effort in. No-one else is going to do this for you. So many CVs sent across to us have such basic errors as this one. Get more work experience – you need it to back up your inconsistent academic performances to date. Concentrate on your legal career and put aside short term gain for longer term career success.

Jonathan Fagan LLM FIRP is Managing Director of Ten-Percent Legal Recruitment. He has been recruiting solicitors and legal support staff for law firms and in house legal departments for over 17 years and handles roles from junior fee earners through to partners and law firm sales/purchases. A non-practising solicitor on the Roll since 2000, he is also the author of a number of legal career books, which are available at www.legalcareercoaching.co.uk. You can contact Jonathan at cv@ten-percent.co.uk